Lagos launches maiden edition of SDGs week

The Lagos state government has launched the first edition of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) week.

The event, which is in commemoration of the United Nations global goals week, is slated to run till the end of September.

Solape Hammond, special adviser to the governor on SDGs and investment, in a statement on Friday, said the present administration has shown dedication towards achieving the 17 SDGs and the 2030 agenda, despite the challenges caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

“The outbreak of the coronavirus (COVID-19) has heightened the call for renewed dedication to sustainable development by governments at various levels, which Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has taken as great priority and infused in the state’s development agenda codenamed T.H.E.M.E.S.,” she said.

“While the pandemic has significantly exacerbated some of the problems Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are set to solve, it has also triggered the necessity for more concerted actions in addressing many developmental issues troubling our world.”

Hammond added that the state government is setting a precedence by encouraging individual action towards the fulfilment of the SDGs.

Lekan Fatodu, senior special assistant to the governor on SDGs, said the initiative is aimed at providing sustainable solutions to the problems faced by Lagosians.

“Lagos State is reputable for audacious strides and accomplishments. And these remarkable traits are consistently being brought to bear in our approaches towards realising the SDGs,” he said.

“This maiden SDGs week is a clear demonstration of our acknowledgment of many dynamic and relevant ways of amplifying the significance of the SDGs and, more importantly, a strategic way of identifying and attracting passionate drivers of the SDGs in Lagos State to join hands towards achieving the goals.

“The effort to reach everybody, including the most vulnerable and marginalised, requires strong community and citizen engagement and organic participation. This strategy holds great value as we approach the last decade of SDGs.”

The SDGs week will feature donation of relief materials to vulnerable groups, as well as enlightenment campaigns.